Back to EveryPatent.com
United States Patent | 5,625,576 |
Massie ,   et al. | April 29, 1997 |
A connection element such as a thimble connects to a user's body member and, through a linkage, to a ground reference. The apparatus physically exchanges a force with a user in an environment local to the user. The linkage powers at least three independent freedoms of the connection element relative to the reference. It also maintains at least one independent freedom of the connection element relative to the reference free of power. Up to three independent freedoms of the connection element may be maintained free of power, and up to five independent freedoms may be powered. A gimbal connects the gimbal to the linkage. Zero, one or two of the gimbal axes may be powered. A five bar linkage connects the connection element to a counter-balance that also includes two actuators. A third actuator connects the five bar linkage to the reference. The two actuators of the counterbalance may be connected to the next link in the chain to the reference through a single cable. Signal processing equipment powers the actuators to deliver a signal at the connection element that represents a virtual situation generated by a programmed computer, or physical conditions in a remote environment. A virtual switch presents to the user the force and displacement relationship of a spring switch. A virtual bristled brush presents the force and displacement relationship of such a brush, while also changing the virtual environment to reflect the user's changes in location.
Inventors: | Massie; Thomas H. (Vanceburg, KY); Salisbury, Jr.; J. Kenneth (Cambridge, MA) |
Assignee: | Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA) |
Appl. No.: | 130639 |
Filed: | October 1, 1993 |
Current U.S. Class: | 703/6; 318/628 |
Intern'l Class: | G05B 011/01 |
Field of Search: | 318/628 364/578 395/99 |
2475484 | Jul., 1949 | De Nise | 318/628. |
4062455 | Dec., 1977 | Flatau | 214/1. |
4555960 | Dec., 1985 | King | 74/471. |
4648782 | Mar., 1987 | Kraft | 414/735. |
4895039 | Jan., 1990 | Hegg | 74/471. |
4913000 | Apr., 1990 | Wyllie | 74/523. |
4914976 | Apr., 1990 | Wyllie | 74/523. |
4988981 | Jan., 1991 | Zimmerman et al. | 345/158. |
5007300 | Apr., 1991 | Siva | 74/471. |
5019761 | May., 1991 | Kraft | 318/568. |
5024116 | Jun., 1991 | Kraft | 74/109. |
5103404 | Apr., 1992 | McIntosh | 318/568. |
5142931 | Sep., 1992 | Menahem | 74/471. |
5143505 | Sep., 1992 | Burdea et al. | 414/5. |
5184319 | Feb., 1993 | Kramer | 364/578. |
5193963 | Mar., 1993 | McAffee | 414/5. |
5255211 | Oct., 1993 | Redmond | 364/578. |
5266875 | Nov., 1993 | Slotine et al. | 395/99. |
5350033 | Sep., 1994 | Kraft | 180/167. |
5354162 | Oct., 1994 | Burdea et al. | 414/5. |
5382885 | Jan., 1995 | Salcudean | 318/568. |
5459382 | Oct., 1995 | Jacobus et al. | 318/568. |
1 Kraft Telerobotics, Inc., "GRIPS Force Feedback Manipulator System," Kraft Telerobotics, Inc. (No date). Y. Adachi, "Touch and Trace on the Free-Form Surface of Virtual Object," Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium (Sep. 18-22, 1993, Seattle WA) pp. 162-168. H. Iwata, "Pen-based Haptic Virtual Environment," Proceedings of IEEE Virtual Reality Annual International Symposium (Sep. 18-22, 1993, Seattle WA) pp. 287-292. 1 B. A. Marcus, B. An, and B. Eberman, "EXOS Research on Master Controllers for Robotic Devices," Fifth Annual Workshop on Space Operations Applications and Research (Soar '91) pp. 238 -245, Jul. 1991. 2 P. H. Sutter, J. C. Iatridis and N. V. Thakor, "Response to Reflected-Force Feedback to Fingers in Teleoperations," Proc. of the NASA Conf. on Space Telerobotics, pp. 65-74. NASA JPL, Jan. 1989. Howe, Robert D. et al., "Task Performance with a Dextrous Teleoperated Hand System," Telemanipulator Technology Nov. 1992, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 1833, pp. 1-9. Hirata, Yukihiro et al., "3-Dimensional Interface Device for Virtual Work Space," Proceedings of the 1992 IEEE, Jul. 7-10, 1992, pp. 889-896. Snow, E. et al., "Compact Force-Reflecting Hand Controller," NASA Tech Brief, Pasadena, CA, Apr. 1991, pp. 1-3 and 1a-15a. McAffee, Douglas A. et al., "Teleoperator Subsystem/Telerobot Demonstrator: Force Reflecting Hand Controller Equipment Manual," Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Jan. 1988, pp. 1-11 & A34. Harbur, Steve "Kraft Telerobotics," Kraft Telerobotics, Inc. 1988, pp. 1-10 . |
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Not Not Not Not Powered Powered Powered Powered Powered ______________________________________ 3P 3T 3F 2T1F 1T2F 4P 2T 2F 1T1F 5P 1T 1F ______________________________________